The Crab and Lobster and Crab Manor Hotel at Asenby near Topcliffe in North Yorkshire has always been a popular wedding venue with brides and grooms who didn't want a 'corporate' wedding.
Something a bit different, something a bit quirky if you will, and over the past couple of years I've covered a number of weddings at this country house near Thirsk.
Fay and Nick certainly wanted somethinga bit different, and once they had visited Crab Manor, they knw it was the place for them!
I met with Fay and her mum Pauline and Fay's Gran about 18 months or so ago and talked about their forthcoming day. It was memorable for me as her Gran had made a beautiful cake and along with a cup or two of tea, it was like we were all old friends by the time I left!
Luckily for me, Fay and her mum and gran were convinced, so I guess Nick only needed a little arm twisting to sign me up as the official photographer for their wedding celebrations.
The pre-wedding shoot went well during a sunny evening at Hartlepool Marina about 8 weeks before the day - this hour or two is a great time for us to get to know each other again, often we have not seen each other for a year, sometimes two, so we chat about the day and talk about how plans are shaping up and then take a few photographs too (Join me on Facebook to see some of the photographs from their pre-wedding portaits HERE).
So, the great day arrived and I was down to North Yorkshire early on the day, even though the wedding wasn't until 3.30pm It's always nice to be on site, get settled, get my bearings and meet up with the bride as things start to come together!
There were plenty of laughs as Fay and her mum and best friends got to work to finish dressing the room with some last minute touches and the florist was finishing things off. There were lots of photographs to be had of course as the girls were getting ready - and it was good to see that the famous 'Sasquatch' or 'Yeti' was still in his usual place at the top of the stairs.
An early guest was trying to persuade me to give away the 'secret' location of the beer barrel in the main house, which is for the use of the (mainly) male guests during the day and evening!
Nick arrived about 1.30pm with his best man and went in search of his friends at The Crab and Lobster terrace - and while they were already ordering a pint to steady their nerves, Nick was trying to get a print out of his speech after deciding that maybe it was a bit risky having his speech to read ONLY off his iPhone!
The small conservatory at The Crab and Lobster seats about 35 people, so often guests have to stand at the back too when the ceremony is on, or even stand outside on the lawn and listen to the proceedings - very pleasant on a VERY, VERY warm day. It was so sticky and warm, and it didn't let up at all during the celebrations.
The ceremony was over in a sprint and all the guests along with Fay and Nick spilled out onto the lawns for some welcome refreshments!
The last thing I ever do is start hearding people into groups, my plan is always to let everyone chill out and relax and have a few glasses of champagne and canapes for an hour or so , grab a couple of 'essential' small groups with mums and dads and grandads and grandmas in a five minute spell.
I then wait until after the wedding breakfast and speeches to gather up those other important relatives and guests and spend another five minutes cracking jokes with them all as we get some more group shots, but 95% of all my images at a wedding are all informal and relaxed, showing the happiness and fun of the wedding celebrations. Nothing stiff or formal at all.
Fay's dad got his speech out of the way as soon as the reception started and once pudding and coffee had been served, we all piled out onto the terrace for the speeches by Nick and the best man - both drawing wild applause!
Time to grab the bride and groom for 10 minutes as it was now close to 8pm and the evening guests arriving. Neither Nick or Faye particularly enjoy having their photographs taken, so a quick ten minutes was probably more than they could bare, but I made it quick and we headed back to get the cake cutting and the first dance - or the first shuffle as they put it before some more upbeat tunes filled the dancefloor with their friends and relatives!
It was a great day for Fay and Nick, a day of happiness and fun and relaxation for their families and as I headed up the A19 back north "I got a Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas was still ringing in my ears
If you would like me to photograph your wedding at The Crab and Lobster, in a relaxed, professional and natural way, with no bother or hassle or stress, then ring me now to check your date for 2013, 2014 or 2015 at Crab Manor or The Crab and Lobster ... from £850 midweek intimate to £1250 and £1600 peak season
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DIRK VAN DER WERFF
